A liveaboard trip on Galapagos Master is a trip like no other! With the boat conveniently located less than 5 minutes from the airport in San Cristobal, the first dive is a check-out in the bay at San Cristobal, where divers are commonly joined by playful sea lions. The sea lions did not disappoint! The next day includes a land tour at North Seymour Island to see iguanas, sea lions, and the birds of Galapagos. This day also included diving at Baltra Island before heading on to Darwin and Wolf, which are some of the iconic dive sites of Galapagos. Here we saw whale sharks, hammerheads, Galapagos sharks, many sea turtles, dolphins, tuna, and many schools of fish. It was remote and amazing. We spent 2 days at Darwin and 1 day at Wolf, with 4 dives each day. Next, we went to Punta Vicente Roca, where we saw mola mola, Pacific seahorse, playful sea lions, more turtles, nudibranch, and bullhead sharks. The water was colder in the islands south of Darwin and Wolf, but the crew was very helpful in assisting everyone with wetsuits, and it was hard to notice the chill with so much marine life to see! Next, we did a dive at Cabo Douglas, where we saw marine iguanas feeding on algae underwater, fur seals, and a group of 14 sea turtles feeding together in the sea grass. We also saw the Galapagos penguin, which was amazing. We finished our diving at Cousin's Rock, where we saw sea lions, nudibranch, and large schools of fish. Our trip also included a land tour to see the Galapagos Tortoise Breeding Center on Santa Cruz Island. On the way to the center, we saw tortoises roaming the landscape and then learned more about them and saw all sizes from youngster to adult tortoises at the center.
The dive guides are extremely experienced in Galapagos. All diving was conducted from pangas, and it was very easy to board. They pulled the panga to the side of the boat, and each person entered with their gear on, with crew members assisting. It was a very safe way to enter the panga.
The food on this trip was delicious and included some local Ecuadorian dishes. We also had 3 vegans on board, and the chef always made them happy with his selections. The between-dive snacks were fantastic as well. The spiced hot chocolate between dives was one of my favorite liveaboard treats ever!
The cabins were some of the most spacious I have seen on a liveaboard. I liked that I had 2 double beds in my room rather than bunks. It was a smooth ride whenever we crossed from island to island.
Overall, the Galapagos Master is a fantastic liveaboard with a hardworking staff. The destination is world-class. I highly recommend Galapagos Master for an unforgettable trip to an iconic dive location.
